Apparatus and method for extending radio messages in mobile communications

Abstract

A method of communicating via a cellular communications network, the method including communicating between a mobile terminal and a network element via radio messages according to a radio protocol, wherein the format of said radio messages includes a basic message portion corresponding to a first version of the radio protocol, and blocks of extension data each relating to a subsequent version of the radio protocol, and an extension container portion characterised in that said extension container portion is adapted to include extension blocks relating to more than one subsequent version of the radio protocol.

1 . A method of communicating via a cellular communications network, the method comprising: 
 communicating between a mobile terminal and a network element via radio messages according to a radio protocol,    wherein the format of said radio messages includes    a basic message portion corresponding to a first version of the radio protocol, and    blocks of extension data each relating to a subsequent version of the radio protocol, and    an extension container portion, characterised in that said extension container portion is adapted to include extension blocks relating to more than one subsequent version of the radio protocol.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said radio message includes a single extension container portion.  
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said extension container portion includes late extensions.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said extension container portion is of variable length.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extensions in said extension container are ordered according to the date of introduction of the extensions.  
   
   
       6 . A method of extending radio messages according to a radio protocol in a cellular communications network, 
 wherein said messages are adapted for the use in the communication between a mobile terminal and network elements via radio messages, and    wherein the format of said radio messages includes    a basic message corresponding to a first version of the radio protocol,    extension blocks relating to subsequent versions of the radio protocol, and    an extension container including extensions relating to more than one different version of the radio protocol.    
   
   
       7 . A method of communicating via a cellular communications network using a radio protocol for communications between a mobile terminal and a network element, the method comprising the steps of: 
 processing a radio message received from network elements at a mobile terminal according to a radio protocol, wherein    the format of said radio messages includes    a basic message portion corresponding to a first version of the radio protocol, blocks of extension data each relating to a subsequent version of the radio protocol, and    an extension container portion adapted to include extension blocks relating to more than one subsequent version of the radio protocol; and wherein    the mobile terminal processes the extensions included in the extensions container up to the first extension the terminal does not comprehend.    
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the mobile terminal skips any not-comprehended extensions in the extension container and continues to process any portions of the message which are arranged after the extension container.  
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the extension container includes a length field to indicate the total length of the extension container.  
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the mobile terminal uses the length field in order to skip any not-comprehended extensions in the extension container.  
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said radio protocol is the RRC protocol according to the UMTS standards.  
   
   
       12 . A network element for communicating via a cellular communications network, adapted to communicate according to the method as claimed in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       13 . A mobile terminal for communicating via a cellular communications network, adapted to communicate according to the method as claimed in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       14 . A mobile terminal for communicating via a cellular communications network, adapted to communicate according to the method as claimed in  claim 7 .  
   
   
       15 . A radio message for communicating via a cellular communications network using a radio protocol, the radio message comprising: 
 a basic message portion corresponding to a first version of the radio protocol,    extension blocks relating to subsequent releases of the radio protocol, and    an extension container portion, characterised in that said extension container is adapted to include extensions relating to more than one different release of the radio protocol.    
   
   
       16 . A mobile terminal for communicating via a cellular communications network, the terminal being adapted to process a radio message according to a radio protocol received from a network element, wherein 
 the format of said radio messages includes    a basic message portion corresponding to a first version of the radio protocol,    extension blocks relating to subsequent versions of the radio protocol, and    an extension container portion adapted to include extensions relating to more than one subsequent version of the radio protocol;    and wherein the mobile terminal is further adapted to process the extensions included in the extension container up to the first extension the terminal cannot interpret.